Why this ride
A 358 km round trip from Tivissa - roughly 6 h 37 in the saddle. On the way it passes Abric de Gallicant, Albi II / Balma dels Punts, Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso and back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Cova de l'Escoda and Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 358 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 6 h 37
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Cova de l'Escoda
The Mediterranean Basin rock art does not end at the Valencian border, and the Cova de l'Escoda is a reminder that the painted shelters stretch up into Catalonia. This one lies in the hills inland from the Costa Daurada, in the dry, rugged country of the Baix Camp and the Ribera d'Ebre, with the Serra de Llaberia to the north and the Ebro valley to the south-west. The shelter belongs to the group listed by UNESCO in 1998, and its paintings are in the Levantine style. The nearest places on the map are El Perelló and Ginestar, though the largest town in the area is Mont-roig del Camp, some sixteen kilometres away.
Read the complete Cova de l'Escoda write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cova de l'Escoda is where the day begins. Next is Abric de Gallicant.
2. Abric de Gallicant
Alforja is a village on the southern edge of the Prades mountains, where the plain of the Camp de Tarragona meets the steep slopes of the Serra de l'Argentera and the Serra de la Mussara. The Abric de Gallicant lies in the hills near Alforja, Vilaplana and Ulldemolins, and it is one of the many prehistoric shelters in these mountains that form part of the UNESCO listing of Mediterranean rock art. The name means rooster's song, a poetic touch typical of Catalan place names. The paintings in this area are generally schematic, with simple figures and geometric shapes, and many shelters are protected by fences.
Read the complete Abric de Gallicant write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric de Gallicant comes up about 72 km into the recorded legs. Next is Albi II / Balma dels Punts.
3. Albi II / Balma dels Punts
L'Albi is a small village on a hill in Les Garrigues, the dry, olive-covered district southeast of Lleida, and its name appears in the archaeological record thanks to rock shelters in the area, including the Balma dels Punts, the shelter of the dots. The name suggests schematic paintings in the form of dots and lines, typical of the later phase of prehistoric art in the region, and the site is part of the UNESCO listing of Mediterranean rock art. The shelters are small and fragile, and some can only be visited with a guide, so check with the town hall or a local interpretation centre before heading out.
Read the complete Albi II / Balma dels Punts write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 120 km into the recorded legs you reach Albi II / Balma dels Punts. Next is Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso.
4. Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso
Behind the Conca de Barberà, where the Catalan plain begins to lift towards the Serra de Prades, a small valley holds the monastery of Poblet, one of the largest and best-preserved Cistercian abbeys in Europe. The Mas d'en Ramon d'en Besso is a farmhouse a few kilometres from Montblanc and from the village of Vimbodí, in wooded country of holm oak, pine and dry-stone terraces with the red cliffs of the Roques Guàrdies nearby.
Read the complete Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso, about halfway. Next is back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts.
5. back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Albi II / Balma dels Punts write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts sits at 132 km, about halfway. Next is back through Abric de Gallicant.
6. back through Abric de Gallicant
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric de Gallicant write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Abric de Gallicant comes up about 283 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cova de l'Escoda.
7. Cova de l'Escoda
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cova de l'Escoda write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cova de l'Escoda closes the day.
Leg by leg
Cova de l'Escoda to Abric de Gallicant
Cova de l'Escoda → Abric de Gallicant is 72 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric de Gallicant to Albi II / Balma dels Punts
Abric de Gallicant → Albi II / Balma dels Punts is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Albi II / Balma dels Punts to Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso
Albi II / Balma dels Punts → Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso is 58 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso to back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts
Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso → back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts is 40 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts to back through Abric de Gallicant
back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts → back through Abric de Gallicant is 65 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric de Gallicant to Cova de l'Escoda
back through Abric de Gallicant → Cova de l'Escoda is 74 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.